Knowing that you will have a job if you push over the university doesn't make you study harder or push yourself. That is the whole point of the detrimental impact of lack of competition in Social countries.

Passing exams = job is bad design.

Yes, its much preferred to have scores of junior doctors without jobs.

Knowing that you will have a job if you push over the university doesn't make you study harder or push yourself. That is the whole point of the detrimental impact of lack of competition in Social countries.

Passing exams = job is bad design.

University is a push over?

To declare that a personal, inner experience gives certainty about the workings of the universe is to assign far too much value to one’s subjective sense of conviction.
I’m not that arrogant.
The brain, marvelous instrument though it is, isn’t infallible. It can misfire, seize or hallucinate, and it can do so in a way that’s utterly indistinguishable from reality to the person experiencing it.

Only if you don't have the knack for it, if you have an ear for languages it is a breeze. I know one guy that can speak 8 languages fluently, just like some can play instruments or paint art...... Some people are born with the knack for these things, the same is rarely said about STEM fields.

Only if you don't have the knack for it, if you have an ear for languages it is a breeze. I know one guy that can speak 8 languages fluently, just like some can play instruments or paint art...... Some people are born with the knack for these things, the same is rarely said about STEM fields.

Linguistics experts can be monolingual, I'm not sure how knowing more than one language enables you to dissect any of them.

Knowing that you will have a job if you push over the university doesn't make you study harder or push yourself. That is the whole point of the detrimental impact of lack of competition in Social countries.

Passing exams = job is bad design.

Getting into medicine(or the "doctors program") pretty much requires "straight A's" though... and even then you are not guaranteed a spot. Lowest I could find was 21.98(only uni under 22), 22.5 is max. Which is also why so many study abroad(1 3rd of swedish doctor students), and then move back home. Getting into uni and studying to become a Doctor is a mission and a half.

The most important part that you are ignoring is a very classic capitalistic factor though, supply and demand. There is a demand for doctors hence why you are likely to get a job if you manage to get through those 6 years of medicine studies.

The nerve is called the "nerve of awareness". You cant dissect it. Its a current that runs up the center of your spine. I dont know if any of you have sat down, crossed your legs, smoked DMT, and watch what happens... but what happens to me is this big thing goes RRRRRRRRRAAAAAWWW! up my spine and flashes in my brain... well apparently thats whats going to happen if I do this stuff...

Lived in Tromso for a year... 15 euro pizza's.... crazy. (I was earning a Norwegian salary, still thought it was expensive).

That's quite reasonable, actually! The largest takeaway pizza chain in Norway sells a large pizza (2-3 people) for about 30-35 euros.
Buying food from a restaurant is quite expensive here, and most people do it only once a week or so, I guess. If you visit the restaurant run by immigrants, like a Vietnamese restaurant, you can get a good meal for about 10 euros, but the average price would be double that. But if you want some alcohol with this, you better be ready to pay more. A pint is about 7+ euros, and a drink is about 12. Everyone thinks that this is very expensive, so we often have a vorspiel to save money, because alcohol is a lot cheaper bought in a store.

Why is this so expensive? To ensure that customers are served clean food, and that the staff of the restaurants aren't slaves, the government have strict rules for food storage/quality, high minimum wages etc. which drives the price up. We're also quite few people in this country, so they can't expect to have a lot of customers at any given time. With insane real estate prices in the more sentral parts, it's quite understandable that they have to charge a lot.

If you are visiting Oslo, and don't have a lot of money to spend on food, find a kebab store. You can get a kebab for as low as 3-4 euros.

I would like my country to have a system similar to the Nordic countries. Why? Because success of a country shouldn't be measured in how much money it makes, but how happy the people living there are. A country should be measured first and foremost by the living standards.

And I congratulate the nordic countries on their public expenses, because they show they care about their people. Yes, there is some improvement to be made around immigrants coming and claiming benefits, which should be touched as a problem, but outside that the nordic countries should be models for everyone.

Countries who measure their worth by how much + in money they make each year suck. Those that measure their worth on how happy their people are should be taken as models, not those.

That's quite reasonable, actually! The largest takeaway pizza chain in Norway sells a large pizza (2-3 people) for about 30-35 euros.
Buying food from a restaurant is quite expensive here, and most people do it only once a week or so, I guess. If you visit the restaurant run by immigrants, like a Vietnamese restaurant, you can get a good meal for about 10 euros, but the average price would be double that. But if you want some alcohol with this, you better be ready to pay more. A pint is about 7+ euros, and a drink is about 12. Everyone thinks that this is very expensive, so we often have a vorspiel to save money, because alcohol is a lot cheaper bought in a store.

Why is this so expensive? To ensure that customers are served clean food, and that the staff of the restaurants aren't slaves, the government have strict rules for food storage/quality, high minimum wages etc. which drives the price up. We're also quite few people in this country, so they can't expect to have a lot of customers at any given time. With insane real estate prices in the more sentral parts, it's quite understandable that they have to charge a lot.

If you are visiting Oslo, and don't have a lot of money to spend on food, find a kebab store. You can get a kebab for as low as 3-4 euros.

Work in Norway, live in Sweden=$ millionare in no time! ;P

The nerve is called the "nerve of awareness". You cant dissect it. Its a current that runs up the center of your spine. I dont know if any of you have sat down, crossed your legs, smoked DMT, and watch what happens... but what happens to me is this big thing goes RRRRRRRRRAAAAAWWW! up my spine and flashes in my brain... well apparently thats whats going to happen if I do this stuff...

Something bad about Norway currently is how the oil has pretty much depleted all other sectors of Engineers. I am an Engineer myself, working within the oil sector. We're leading within oil and gas, subsea and offshore operations. Currently there's a lack of 16.000 Engineers in Norway. Which is a lot, compared to the amount of Engineers graduating each year. We've even started to "steal" engineers from several South American countries. More than those countries have liked. Chile has for instance contacted the Norwegian government regarding this.

Anyway. What I really wanted to get at here is that entrepreneurship in Norway is limited due to this fact. If you're an Engineer, you're certain to get a job within the oil-sector, a well paid job. You do not need to be entrepreneurial. Something that the swedes needs to. They do not have the oil, nor the fish, and as such they'll need to think outside the box in order to get somewhere.

Norway was among Europe's (even the worlds) poorest countries up until early 1900. Prior to the second world war, Norway had the second largest trading fleet in the world. 90% of that fleet was sunk or made obsolete during the second world war. Therefore, in order to get back into the lead, Norway had to build a completely new fleet. And as of that day until now, the Norwegian fleet is modern and surpasses pretty much any fleet in the world. Denmark has Maersk, Norway has Fredriksen for instance. Pretty much any industry (major) in Norway revolves around the sea, whether it being fish, oil and gas, offshore operations or trading. Most of our engineering force is centered around this. This is not a problem today, but surely will be in a 100 years or so if we do not start thinking more out of the box.

The money the Norwegian state has, is due to the oil found out in the North Sea (including all the operations abroad). $700 billion is stored away in a sovereign wealth fund, where some of it is spent on buying property or loaning to other countries. You would be amazed about the streets and areas the Norwegian government owns abroad (Regent Street in London for instance). Thinking ahead. I would personally see more of it spent on infrastructure in Norway, rather it being spent on the Autobahn in Germany. But that's just me.

Norway has its money. When its gone, pretty much everything will collapse. We currently employ about 1.7 million within the public sector of a workforce that only is about 2.6 million. That is not good. Of those 2.6 million, 0.6 million is in disabled or handicapped. Meaning you have about 0.3-0.4 million left working within the remaining sectors. 0.1 million works purely towards the oil and gas sector. That leaves 200.000 left. I could go further, but what I'm getting at is that our workforce is limited. Hence the jobs Norwegians do not want are given to foreign workers. You would be flabbergasted by the amount of Swedish youth working in the service sectors here in Norway. If you were to travel to Oslo today or during the summer holidays, you would be greeted by swedes pretty much everywhere. Sweden currently has an unemployment rate of 22.5% in the age range from 18-25, a rate which would've been a lot higher if it weren't for the jobs they were getting in Norway. Norway almost has no unemployment at all. Why? Because the oil sector is flourishing, and the other sectors lack the necessary workforce. Hence foreign workers are used as fillers.

There are almost more Swedish entrepreneurs in Norway, than there are Norwegian entrepreneurs.

Earlier I said there is 600.000 being disabled or in any way not able to work. That is an insane number. The healthcare and social benefits given in Norway are, after my own opinion, to easy to get. If a foreign worker were to work in Norway for 6 months, get a child in the meantime, and then move back to their own country, they would be getting child support until their child is 18 years old. That amount is rather large compared to normal salaries in many European countries, and is therefore exploited. Exploitation of the social benefits in most Scandinavian countries are occurring on a daily basis.

Singapore will surpass Norway in most rankings in few years. I've lived there myself, and the changes done over the years are major. You would be pleasantly surprised. Countries should not be looking towards the Nordics, but more towards Singapore. The rules there are strict, for instance chewing gum is banned (caning or fines are the punishment), there's a death penalty for using or importing drugs and so on. The rules work. There's rarely any murders, and even the largest newspaper in Singapore has rather boring stories as its headline. People getting mugged might end up as the headline. Something I were asked a lot after returning home, where whether I was scared moving around and doing normal things. My answer were always "No.". As long as you followed the rules, you would be fine. Rules which is rather easy to follow, and is pretty much common sense in many cases.

People would be surprised by the foreign policies Norway has for instance. We condone terrorism, but we protect terrorist. If you were to flee from your country due prosecution or fearing for your life, then the government is obliged to protecting you. Most of these immigrants would get a large range of benefits like free school, apartment, a monthly salary etc. by doing nothing. Exploitation is often occurring like I explained earlier.

I don't like Norway in its current state. We're living really well here, but you would be surprised by how stuff is done. Norway is not the place to look if you want stuff done. We're rich, but it is not due to our way of working, but rather our oil.

Something I do look forward to, is to start mining for Thorium in a couple years. With the largest reserve found in Norway, it might become the new oil for us.

Originally Posted by Hastings95

Question, are guns completely banned in the Scandinavian countries, or are they just heavily controlled?

Heavily controlled. All weapons are to be registered and stored safely. Random checks by the municipality might be done. Only certain types of guns are allowed though, those who count as proper hunting rifles.

All who are in the military (currently) would have their service weapon at home, safely stored. It is, however, non-functional, as parts of it will be stored on different locations (often the closest military base).

Above statement is only considering the Norwegians, as I do think the other Scandinavian countries has different laws.

Linguistics experts can be monolingual, I'm not sure how knowing more than one language enables you to dissect any of them.

Because very few languages have been completely isolated from others. And to understand it fully it helps immensely to have other languages at your disposal

---------- Post added 2013-02-04 at 02:35 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Jackmoves

Getting into medicine(or the "doctors program") pretty much requires "straight A's" though... and even then you are not guaranteed a spot. Lowest I could find was 21.98(only uni under 22), 22.5 is max. Which is also why so many study abroad(1 3rd of swedish doctor students), and then move back home. Getting into uni and studying to become a Doctor is a mission and a half.

The most important part that you are ignoring is a very classic capitalistic factor though, supply and demand. There is a demand for doctors hence why you are likely to get a job if you manage to get through those 6 years of medicine studies.

Its not only the demand but there is also an incentive to have the doctors specialize quickly.

---------- Post added 2013-02-04 at 02:38 PM ----------

Originally Posted by tankbug

That's quite reasonable, actually! The largest takeaway pizza chain in Norway sells a large pizza (2-3 people) for about 30-35 euros.
Buying food from a restaurant is quite expensive here, and most people do it only once a week or so, I guess. If you visit the restaurant run by immigrants, like a Vietnamese restaurant, you can get a good meal for about 10 euros, but the average price would be double that. But if you want some alcohol with this, you better be ready to pay more. A pint is about 7+ euros, and a drink is about 12. Everyone thinks that this is very expensive, so we often have a vorspiel to save money, because alcohol is a lot cheaper bought in a store.

Why is this so expensive? To ensure that customers are served clean food, and that the staff of the restaurants aren't slaves, the government have strict rules for food storage/quality, high minimum wages etc. which drives the price up. We're also quite few people in this country, so they can't expect to have a lot of customers at any given time. With insane real estate prices in the more sentral parts, it's quite understandable that they have to charge a lot.

If you are visiting Oslo, and don't have a lot of money to spend on food, find a kebab store. You can get a kebab for as low as 3-4 euros.

Why does every Vietnamese in the Nordics I hear of seem to run a restaurant...
The best grill in my old town had a Vietnamese guy owning it - really nice guy too. Now im in Århus and one of my friends in class has, at least, a Vietnamese father who also owns a restaurant in her old town xD

Singapore will surpass Norway in most rankings in few years. I've lived there myself, and the changes done over the years are major. You would be pleasantly surprised. Countries should not be looking towards the Nordics, but more towards Singapore. The rules there are strict, for instance chewing gum is banned (caning or fines are the punishment), there's a death penalty for using or importing drugs and so on. The rules work. There's rarely any murders, and even the largest newspaper in Singapore has rather boring stories as its headline. People getting mugged might end up as the headline. Something I were asked a lot after returning home, where whether I was scared moving around and doing normal things. My answer were always "No.". As long as you followed the rules, you would be fine. Rules which is rather easy to follow, and is pretty much common sense in many cases.

Singapore's success is actually being hampered by their ridiculously bad social freedom. The only thing that Singapore has going is its high economic freedom couples with being a trading hub, and that's the source of its wealth. Hong Kong on the other hand has both economic and social freedom and is also a trading hub.

Having said that, all countries cannot be trading centres, as it would mean no country is a trading centre. So thinking that you can replicate Hong Kong's and Singapore's success elsewhere isn't that easy.